Dee Ford's production among 5 things to watch for in Chiefs vs. Saints

The Kansas City Chiefs take on the New Orleans Saints in a once-every-four-years battle this weekend.

Here are five things to watch for during this Week 7 matchup.

Alex Smith vs. bad defense

The Saints have one of the worst defenses in the league, ranking second-to-last in yards per game (419.4) and last in points per game (33.6). That last stat is three more points than second-to-last, which is a huge number when you consider averages.

Can Smith have a huge day against this D like he did against San Diego? It’s possible, and he has the weapons to do it. Speaking of Smith’s weapons…

Travis Kelce’s targets

The Chiefs tight end was only targeted three times last week. That could have been due to Kansas City sticking with the run, but Kelce normally sees more targets than that. With the New Orleans defense lacking any sort of pass rush or coverage skills, surely Kelce will see an uptick in targets.

Spencer Ware & Jamaal Charles workload

Last week Ware took 24 carries while Charles took nine. Do the Chiefs continue that same course or will it get closer to 50/50? Charcandrick West has been mixed in a bit as well lately to give those guys relief.

Dee Ford’s pass rush

Two sacks and four QB hurries for Ford against Oakland last week. The Saints have given up only eight sacks this season, tied for second least in the league, so Ford has to face a bigger challenge in Week 7. Does his production hold up, or was last week’s success due to Oakland’s offensive line woes?

D.J. White struggles

We all know New Orleans likes to throw the ball. The Saints are first in yards passing (335.4), third in touchdown passes (14) and fourth in first-down percentge (38.2). Meanwhile, the rookie cornerback White has struggled the past few weeks when coming in to replace CB Phillip Gaines. If White has to play this week, look for Saints quarterback Drew Brees to test him.

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